Never Again
by HarukaEndou
Summary: It has been four years sine Kise left Aomine and now that the two of them had bumped into each other, they have to figure out a way to deal with their own feelings. Sequel to Time After Time.


Okay, here comes the sequel of Time After Time. Originally, I wasn't planning on publishing it but I guess I just can't let their story end up like this. This story will have only one more chapter besides this one, so expect the end in just a day or two. Read, review and enjoy, people!

Chapter one: Cold

Aomine looked at the girl lying next to him and felt nothing in his chest. No warmth, no love, no disgust, no regret or happiness. Nothing. The tanned boy adverted his eyes to the ceiling and stared at it, wondering how long had it been since he had felt something close to satisfaction. His job was boring, dull. Going out with Tetsu and the rest was just as undesired. Hell, he didn't even feel the urge to play basketball. The ball that was once used everyday for hours was now hidden in the closet. He had tried taking it out a few times but each of it Aomine had ended up throwing it to the corner of the room with aching heart.

The girl stirred and tried to cuddle up against Aomine, but he pushed her away and inched closer to the edge of the bed. She was a no one to him. Just a random girl he had met a week ago. Sure the sex with her was enough to take his mind off everything, but was never enough to make him forget.

The golden bracelet the girl had on her wrist sparkled in the darkness and it reminded him of the way Kise's hair would look like on the dim light. Aomine clenched his fists as he felt something close to desperation take over. It had been more than four years since the blond model had left him and it still hurt just as much.

The tanned man sat up and let his feet touch the cold ground. He shivered for a second, remembering how warm it was when Kise would wrap his arms around him in those chilly nights. Now there was nothing but numbness and cold left behind in what once had been their apartment. Aomine made his way to the kitchen, hoping that some snack would help him calm down a little. He found half a sandwich left from the morning but at the moment he smelled it, he felt his stomach turn. Just as expected, his appetite was just as bad as he had assumed. Aomine put the food back into the fridge and headed for the bathroom. Maybe a hot shower would do the work.

The warm water fell onto him, warming his skin up, but it didn't seem to reach the ice inside his veins. Aomine gasped when suddenly, his breath hitched. His hands supported his weigh against the walls of the bathroom, but the shivering of his body was so strong that he fell on his knees. God, were those warm liquid drops falling down his face really tears?

Aomine put a hand to his mouth as he tried to push away the invading images of Kise out of his mind. A sob tore out of his mouth. He knew he had screwed up with the blond but the pain still wouldn't fade away. He had deceived himself that maybe time would heal his wounds, make him feel better. Yet, the years spent away from Kise had only made his condition worse. Now the model would appear in every dream of his, occupy his mind all of the time. For fucks sake, every stupid detail would remind him of Kise.

**_This is ridiculous…_**

Aomine buried his face. This was getting too much.

Kise closed the book and leaned back in his chair, revising what he had just learnt. It wasn't really difficult to recall everything written about the different kind of engines. Then about the history of civil aviation. And finally, he quickly went through the different types of planes he was assigned to study. It had taken him three hours to learn everything about the coming test instead of the predicted five but he was okay with that. It meant he would be able to go back home earlier that usual. Get some really needed sleep even.

The blond gathered his books and made a quick work of putting them back on their respective shelves. He was already putting on his coat when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Um… Kise-kun?" The blond turned around as he was wrapping the scarf around his neck and smiled at his classmate.

"Oh, Yumi-chan," he greeted, trying to sound as polite as possible. She was a nice girl, really, but the nervous look in her eyes told him enough about what was going to happen next. "I was just getting ready to leave..."

The girl smiled nervously at him.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me and a few of my friends for a drink?"

Kise buttoned up his coat and swung his bag over his shoulder. It was the third time he was being asked out that week and it was just Monday, for Christ's sake.

"Sorry, but I feel like I am about to collapse," he chuckled a little and walked to her with a smile on his face. Smile he was trying to keep on his lips. "Maybe another time?"

More like never, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Kise was better than that.

The girl looked disappointed but nodded a little and looked away, feeling ashamed.

After that Kise walked out with a cheerful "Good night!" It wasn't until he was out of the library that his smile faded away. His eyes darkened as his fingers clenched into fists. There were so many people who were willing to do anything to go out with him and yet the only person he desired was out of his reach.

Four years, six months and twenty-one day. Not that he was counting, of course. That was the exact amount of time Kise had spent away from Aomine. There were nights he certainly regretted his decision as he lied awake replaying their last hours together. Then he would get frustrated, even angry with his ex-lover. Aomine deserved it. He had it coming with all of the times he had hurt Kise, left him alone, and pushed him away. A stupid confession wasn't going to erase all of it from his memory.

Then why was he feeling like he was torn in two?

Kise closed his eyes and lowered his head a little, hiding half of his face into the scarf. No, he was not going to analyze whatever had happened in the past.

The temperature outside was getting colder and colder with each passed day. Soon December came and Tokyo became so chilly, that even with a few layers of clothes and a woven scarf around his neck, Kise felt like he was abound to turn into an ice statue. The blond rubbed his frozen hands together as he walked inside the supermarket.

"Oi, Kise-kun!" greeted the old lady behind the counter. "Happy to see you again!"

Kise smiled widely and waved his hand in a greeting. This was why he liked this exact shop so much.

"Hello, Hana-san!" he walked towards her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "You look just as dazzling as always!"

The old woman giggled like a school girl and patted the blond on the cold cheek. She was an old friend of Kise's grandmother.

"You don't look so bad yourself!" She leaned against the counter. "What should I get you this time?"

Kise shrugged. He wasn't sure what he wanted for dinner.

"Let me take a look around, I don't want to trouble you," he excused himself and turned around, heading to the back of the shop.

Someone bumped into him so hard that Kise stumbled back a little and nearly fell onto his butt. He felt it in the moment the smell invaded his nose. It was something familiar, something that reminded him of warmth, love and pain at the same time. The blond's eyes widened and he stepped back a little. God, this couldn't be happening, right? There was no way Aomine could be in this part of the city. The panic started to overcome him as Kise looked up to a pair of too familiar eyes.

"Kise?" Aomine stared at the blond boy, not sure if the man in front of him was an illusion or a reality.


End file.
